Kings Island vs. Paramount's Kings Island

[king_cobra_27]

Does anyone remember what Kings Island was. It was a simple park. Descent.

Clean. Fun. With a great atmosphere. And some of the best rides on the planet.

The Vortex was a record breaker. The Beast was and still is a record breaker.

Timberwolf was always holding concerts. The Smurfs graced Hanna Barbera Land.

There was a safari ride. There was a boat ride. There was no fence around the fountain. Winterfest was celebrating CHRISTMAS. Now it seems more like a birthday party, where the Guest of Honor is not invited. Both trains always ran.

There was a ride called KING COBRA. The Vortex's days were not numbered.

It TRULY WAS A FAMILY PARK WITH FAMILY VALUES. NONE of the Merchandise was corrupted. There were dolphin and seal shows. I could go on and on.

However since the taking over of the company, Paramount has removed the KING COBRA, they have removed the SAFARI, they have gotten rid of the animal shows. They have kept a low maintenance on the rides. DOES ANYONE REMEMBER NOT HITTING BRAKES ON The Beast IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RIDE??

They have pretty much abandoned TIMBERWOLF AMPHITHEATRE. NOW, for 2006, HANNA BARBERA LAND has been laid to rest. To make way for NICKELODEON. SURE I LOVE NICKELODEON, but who is to say that the new owners will want to keep it for long. I THINK A PARK LIKE SIX FLAGS WOULD REMOVE REPTAR AND SPONGEBOB TO MAKE WAY FOR BUGS AND DAFFY. The Vortex is on P.K.I.'s "to kill list" The campground is gone. The large log flume is gone. The ice skating shows in the FestHaus are gone. These annoying televisions are all over the park advertising PARAMOUNT MOVIES. I go to theme and amusement parks to forget about the outside world temporarily. And these T.V.'s are constantly reminding me of it. (wouldn't you stay at home to watch t.v. anyway) The old time cars have been replaced with a roller coaster that I did not even bother to stand in line to ride. And the old time cars were relaxing. Enjoyable. But they had to make way for a ride that from atop of the Eiffel Tower looks like a small junk yard. There goes the scenery. They introduced and removed the helicoptor tours. The Son of Beast is a great concept. But let's face it. IT'S NO BEAST. It should have been built with tunnels, and 2 or 3 lifthills. And to get the feel of "The Beast" they should have kept a lot of the ride running through the trees. But, oh well.

And why doesn't Paramount tackle steel coaster records. Why isn't there something at least close to comparing with Millenium Force or Top Thrill Dragster.

If Cedar Point can make room for it on their stretch of land, I think Kings Island could consider using some of the unused land that they could literally double their park with. Instead of tearing down the parks history to make room for new crap that probably won't even last.

[robintodd]

I am a LONG TIME KI'er. If memory serves me correctly the Wild Animal Habitat was removed BEFORE Paramount took over. The Vortex is on the "to kill" list because mostly of the time it was made. To repair/revamp the coaster would cost more than to just put in a new one. As for the brakes in the middle of The Beast, yes, they always are on to some extent. I'm sure they are watched more closesly with all the media attention to theme park accidents as of late. They have been adding so much for safety. Almost every coaster now has a seat belt. I would look at the industries safety standards more than I would blame this on park management.

Last summer the park did make the decision to gear itself to more of a family park feel. With this change you would be seeing less coasters and more "experiences". They are looking more toward Universal than Cedar Point. Mostly because of all the competition in the area. When Six Flags bought Geauga Lake they added 3 coasters in one year just to try to compete with CP. PKI decided to go into a new direction instead of getting into the coaster wars with CP, Geauga Lake (now owned by Cedar Fair), Kentucky Kingdom and Holiday World. Not a bad move if they do it effectively.

I'm all for coasters to and I'm sure one is coming in 2007. Most people are resistant to change. I HATED the smurfs talking over the Enchanted Voyage. They are selling alcohol in the park again (something they have tried to kill in the past) and the food is quite acceptable.

Could Paramount have done a better job? Probably but the BIGGEST change I have noticed since the purchase is the shows. Taft had FANTASTIC shows. Celebration ran for two seasons and they made the soundtrack available on a record (way back, huh?). After that they did Gotta Dance which was also great. Now they have School of Rock, Nice show but they could do it outside just as effectively. They have a FANTASTIC theatre and don't use it to it's fullest extent.

All in all I'd have to give Paramount a B. At least they didn't run it into the ground before trying to sell it.

Todd

[Gordon Bombay]

Oh cry me a river, Paramount has done more for the park than anyone and as much as you complain theyre not gonna bring it back to how it was, if you look at KI how it was back in the brady bunch days yeah it looked neat but it was just like a large carnival. PKI never has been and is not now Disney calliber but Paramount has put it more in that direction than anyone, yeah not every decision has been great but with time comes change and you people need to stop complaining about it, PKI Is still a great place for young kid and adults with or without fences around the fountains.

[flightoffear1996]

Its a theme park not an amusement park.

[PKIVortex]

Who's to say that all that stuff wouldn't have happened if Paramount didn't take over. King Cobra was getting old and had maintance issuses almost everyday during the last season it operated. As far as KCKC it was a flop, we even called it flop as one of it's slang names.

As far as Vortex being on PKI Kill list, well they are no offical statement about Vortex. It's been a rumor for years.

[Outdoor Man]

i agree... most of paramount's moves have been to erase the "Theme Park" feel for that of a "Thrill Park." But some of the instances you mention I don't think are Paramount's fault, so-to-speak. King Cobra coming out was a maintenance issue more than anything... plus there was never a line for it anymore. Maintenance + lack of interest = removal. That will happen to any of the coasters once they reach that milestone.

Now, i am one for calling December 25 exactly what it is... but even in the first run, I'm not sure that Winterfest ever actually claimed to celebrate "Christmas."

I'm not a huge Nick fan.... but Hanna Barbera's days have long since been over. Scooby Doo is the only recognizeable HB character left... Not many kids under 10 know what Elroy Jetson is or Yogi, for that matter... and a lot less know who Scrappy is, so the NU is a great concept to go on... if the new owners keep the licensing. (though I hate the concept of rebadging Beatie to Fairly Odd.)

I do agree, though that although Paramount is an entertainment company, the shows have drastically trailed off in recent years. There are a handful of good shows, but not like there used to be... but I'll be honest- unless it's raining or 20 degrees (winterfest)- i'm not even interested in going to the shows.

From a marketing design standpoint, some of their moves didn't make sense. Action Zone prior to NU was the only section that seemed to be developed with a plan in mind to follow a set pattern. Coney Mall all of a sudden gets a FOF roller coaster (doesn't fit the Coney theme)... Tomb Raider in Rivertown (doesn't follow a theme). IJST in Coney (no theme relation). Seems that they should have massively expanded Action Zone to accomodate all of the movie-related attractions... and mobilized other things to keep with the themes of the other sections... or remodel/remove them completely.

my 2-cents.

[Thrill_Biscuit]

I agree that IJST looks SORELY out of place in the 'Tiques' once-pastoral footprint. That's plain ugly!

Sure, Kings Island may not be Disney-Caliber, but they can still fit Mickey's freakin' "Magic Kingdom" in PKI's parking lot! Once you pass through the front gate of our beloved park, the fountains, Eiffel Tower and bombastic music ALWAYS set the mood for an awesome time, unlike any in the world (well, except PKD), period! ...and where's the official word on Vortex's days being numbered?!?

Respectfully, Thrill_Biscuit

[WooferBearATL]

LOL!

Ya really want to get me started there?

I think that it's going to take the new owners years to make up for the damage that Paramount has done to the park.

I think that Paramount has tried to make some corrections of late, but it's still sorely lacking the atmosphere that was once Kings Island.

[ragerunner]

maybe the new owners will rename the park to 'Busch Gardens Ohio'. I can hope. I would agree that Paramount has done some really good things but they really don't seem to have plan for how the rides (some of them have good theming) should fit into the theme area. IJST, Tomb Raider, etc... So a new owner, unless it Cedar Fair would need to do some match theming to correct this problem, I hope.

[Browntggrr]

Kings Island was much better prior to Paramount taking over, and it was more of a family park as KI before PKI.

There is a family atmosphere that PKI just does not have anymore, even though they claim to be a family park, it was much different pre- Paramount. And it really does not have anything to do with the rides, just the way that I (and my family- I have 2 kids) feel. I am not sure if it is the way the Paramount has marketed themselves in the park or if they have just crammed the "theme park" into everything about the park, but it just does not have that "natural fun" feeling that used to be there in the 80's & early 90's.

Not to mention the various themeing elements that just do not work anymore does take away from the overall park experiance. When I went to BGW this past summer, I recalled how KI used to be. BGW had beautiful landscaping, was execptionally clean, the food was well above average- KI used to be up to this high level, but it just seems average now.

[marlfox_21]

I am a LONG TIME KI'er. If memory serves me correctly the Wild Animal Habitat was removed BEFORE Paramount took over. The Vortex is on the "to kill" list because mostly of the time it was made. To repair/revamp the coaster would cost more than to just put in a new one. As for the brakes in the middle of The Beast, yes, they always are on to some extent. I'm sure they are watched more closesly with all the media attention to theme park accidents as of late. They have been adding so much for safety. Almost every coaster now has a seat belt. I would look at the industries safety standards more than I would blame this on park management.

Last summer the park did make the decision to gear itself to more of a family park feel. With this change you would be seeing less coasters and more "experiences". They are looking more toward Universal than Cedar Point. Mostly because of all the competition in the area. When Six Flags bought Geauga Lake they added 3 coasters in one year just to try to compete with CP. PKI decided to go into a new direction instead of getting into the coaster wars with CP, Geauga Lake (now owned by Cedar Fair), Kentucky Kingdom and Holiday World. Not a bad move if they do it effectively.

I'm all for coasters to and I'm sure one is coming in 2007. Most people are resistant to change. I HATED the smurfs talking over the Enchanted Voyage. They are selling alcohol in the park again (something they have tried to kill in the past) and the food is quite acceptable.

Could Paramount have done a better job? Probably but the BIGGEST change I have noticed since the purchase is the shows. Taft had FANTASTIC shows. Celebration ran for two seasons and they made the soundtrack available on a record (way back, huh?). After that they did Gotta Dance which was also great. Now they have School of Rock, Nice show but they could do it outside just as effectively. They have a FANTASTIC theatre and don't use it to it's fullest extent.

All in all I'd have to give Paramount a B. At least they didn't run it into the ground before trying to sell it.

Todd

I don't want to put down Paramount's Kings Island. It really is a great park.

But I do have to admit that the atmosphere in the park is not what it used to be.

I, for example, do not want to read advertisements for Cincinnati Car Dealerships while walking through the park. And the themes don't really fit anymore.

Especially Tomb Raider, granted it is a great (short) ride. I do admit that I really miss the shows of old. Back when you could go into the FestHaus and watch an

ice skating show while you ate. That and several others. Another thing that I would be willing to change dwells further into commercialism. The park of old had individual shops with individual themes. Now every shop virtually carries the same merchandise (for the most part). And the food shops of old were each very unique.

Now its like being outside of the park. Lets go to ChickfiLe or Subway. These kinds of places have no purpose in a park like Kings Island.

On the other hand, Paramount and originally Q-102 brought FearFest into the Spotlight. I remember being there for the opening day of the opening year. It was amazing. However, they never have quite put as much into it any other year.

At least it does not seem that way. The transformation from Water Works to Boomerang Bay was a very welcome one. With the result being grander than the original. Drop Zone, and the X-Treme Skyflyer of 95 and the SlingShot of 01 are simply incredible. WinterFest was simply Bliss.

So really there are a lot of good and a lot of bad things that Paramount has brought with it to the parks history. But probably more good than bad.

[jzarley]

I think that it's going to take the new owners years to make up for the damage that Paramount has done to the park.

While any new owner (of anything) will want to put their personal stamp on a business, let's be realistic about what their mindset will most likely be...

"a 32% increase in operating revenue from Q4 2004 to Q4 2005...those guys are doing something right!"

Trust me, I have my own complaints about Paramount Parks (with the "forcing" of themed rides into areas where they make no sense; not maintaining themeing on those new rides for more than a few seasons; and their proclivity to overhype--and under deliver--everything to death, topping the list...) But, the bottom line is exactly that. There's no reason (or business motivation) for the new owner to completely abandon the Paramount Parks formula and reinvent the wheel.

P.S. Why is this in polls when there is no actual poll question?

[Enchanted Voyager]

The major attractions placed in different parts of the park is also used as a crowd control device. If all the major themed attractions were put in one area like Action Zone, it would be very congested there. Although some rides look funny where they are it helps round out the crowd in the park. Also to comment on the Kings Island Vs. Paramount Kings Island I do think it lost some of it's charm when it changed hands. But do I think it was bad for the park, absolutely not. Paramount did a good job while it was in it's possesion and brought some good rides to us that might not have come without a multipark contract. I think Paramount did fine but it is now also good for them to let go of it.

[crazypkikid2005]

I think TR:TR fits fine in rivertown but IJ and FOF are questionable

[DevilMayChew]

i think that IJ would look good in Action Zone, FOF looks good where it currently is, sort of semi secluded

[jzarley]

I think TR:TR fits fine in rivertown but IJ and FOF are questionable

Yeah, because 19th Century midwestern river towns were full of Asian tombs...

Sorry, just couldn't resist... I know what you're saying though, the "look" of TR:TR matches the overall atmosphere of Rivertown better than some of the other movie-themed attractions.

[CoastersNSich]

My fair and balanced view:*

Since 1993, Paramount has had hits and misses with Kings Island:

Hits:

- Attendance remains strong and generally consistent year after year.

- They have invested in many thrill rides and coasters, some innovative and first of their kind, at least in this region.

- Public relations with the guests and coaster enthusiasts remains very strong. The continuing Beast walkbacks and many other events Maureen, Jeff, and others have participated in have been a part of make them a class act.

- WaterWorks, a smaller slide-only water park has grown into the larger, improved, and more variety-filled Boomerang Bay.

- A great value for the price of admission, and an even better value for passholders.

- Coasters normally run with multiple trains - this is better than many Six Flags parks and other large parks.

- WinterFest returned as a well-done, high-quality family experience.

(edit)- They have built and expanded the chidren's area into an award-winning area - and will improve upon it for this year. (edit)

Misses:

- Not as much attention to detail as Taft/KECO put into rides, theme areas, and such. Rides often have been repainted less often than they would have under Taft/KECO. Adventure Express, Phantom Theater, and even Tomb Raider fell apart with little effort to keep theming in good shape.

- International Restaurant closed, resulting in no full-service sit-down restaurant in the park. A park of PKI's caliber needs a full-service restaurant, and should have renovated IR to something more contemporary, less "elegant."

- Amongst all the new coasters at PKI and other parks, there still remains no B&M at PKI. While more expensive to build, those coasters have been more reliable, and run at a higher capacity than other coasters by Premier, Vekoma, or Intamin.

- Ride operations could be more efficient. I don't place blame on the associates or their managers (possibly being a little prejudiced as a former ride op myself). However, the rides need to be better staffed - more people checking lapbars, and seating assigners/separators, as well as height checkers need to be put back into place. All the empty seats, as well as the need to check height right before a train is sent out seriously hurts capacity - and hurts the overall guest experience. Overall, the problem is not with the lenghth of lines, but with the speed of lines.

- Paramount Action Zone: While it has several great rides, it looks cheap, compared to the previous Adventure Village/Wild Animal Habitat theming - lots of concrete and metal, not enough trees in some areas.

- Sending the Flying Eagles to Carowinds. This was a Cincinnati tradition and a favorite of many guests until the end. The action was cheap and IMO uncalled for. If they had to use the site for something else, OK, but there's still some good vacant space in the park.

"In Between"

- The shows declined, compared to the Taft years - but the quality has been improving lately. The renovation of the Paramount Theatre with individual theater seats is a noteworty improvement over the previous setup. The Festhaus has become little more festive than as of recent years.

- Son of Beast has been a bold addition to the park and the coaster community, and innovative with its loop. However, it hasn't been a very consistent or comfortable ride, and is not the most popular - lines can be short, even on very busy days. On the other hand, I can stand the intensity and try to get a ride on it every time I'm at the park.

- King Cobra, while it was one of my favorites, had to be removed, because of the maintenance issues involved.

Overall, I give the Paramount era, 1993-2006 a B-. PKI has been a hit when it comes to fun and thrills, but a miss when it comes to presentation, style, and consistency. No doubt a success, but the next owner can do a lot better.

*Yes, I am a Fox News watcher.

[Captain Nemo]

Well, If you know the backstory behind the removal of some of the rides it will make alot of sense.

Now in response to the KI vs. PKI. I really dont think it matters who was better or not. If you look at PKI in the last couple years it has been recognized for multiple outstanding things for example, 5 years PKI has had the #1 kids area!

[vortexdemon05]

ok this is what i think Paramount did a good job they attracted more people with avertisments and most people have kids who are not in to thrill rides yet and they want to make them a park so they can ride more rides for 1 small price. yes some rides needed to go like King Cobra Vortex will not go becouse it was the 1st 6 looping steel. and is one of the most visited ride at PKI with beast and FoF i mean i have worked at the park for like 4 years and i have seen people come from all over like Washington, Florda NY, exc. i have even have hurd complements that pki is one of there fav. parks to go to. heck there were people in china that came to pki becouse they thought it was the best park. and they were impressed with how meny flat rides and how much ki is a family park. but thats all i have to say

Chris

[The Interpreter]

The people from China were impressed with the number of flat rides at PKI? Sheesh.

Anywho, I have been very disappointed with Paramount. The food, the shows, the entertainment....all went massively downhill while the theme park was owned by a company that owns movie studioes. Hurts my head.

All that being said, I can guarantee that PKI is in a lot better shape today than would have been Six Flags Cincinnati featuring Viper, Shockwave, an SLC and a boomerang and a Batman Stunt Show. Then again, if IJST's theming isn't a near rip off of Batman The Ride, I don't know what is. That pastoral part of the park has been reduced to looking worse than the average Six Flags' Batman The Ride area. And that's pretty bad, indeed. And the coaster isn't even a good one like BTR is.

The sad thing is there is no guarantee that the next owner will be better. We may well be posting on some board some day:

Remember the good old days?  Back when Paramount owned the parks?  Back when they had FearFest?  Back when they still put in major coasters?  Back when season passes were affordable?  When the water park didn't cost extra?  When parking was ONLY nine dollars?

Yes, the park will change under new ownership. There is no guarantee it will be for the better.

[WooferBearATL]

I think TR:TR fits fine in rivertown but IJ and FOF are questionable

Yeah, because 19th Century midwestern river towns were full of Asian tombs...

Sorry, just couldn't resist... I know what you're saying though, the "look" of TR:TR matches the overall atmosphere of Rivertown better than some of the other movie-themed attractions.

LOL!

Lord I was thinking the same thing!

[teenageninja]

Chris, Vortex will be removed if it needs to be. King Cobra was the first stand-up looping steel in North America, that's pretty impressive. The average life for a steel coaster is 18 years if I remember right. Vortex will be removed when the cost of running it outways the benefits. Let's face it Vortex won't last forever, but I don't see it going anywhere soon. If it does go i see something big going in it's place. I happen to think Delirium was a great substitute for King Cobra.

[Gordon Bombay]

The people from China were impressed with the number of flat rides at PKI?  Sheesh.

Anywho, I have been very disappointed with Paramount.  The food, the shows, the entertainment....all went massively downhill while the theme park was owned by a company that owns movie studioes.  Hurts my head.

All that being said, I can guarantee that PKI is in a lot better shape today than would have been Six Flags Cincinnati featuring Viper, Shockwave, an SLC and a boomerang and a Batman Stunt Show.  Then again, if IJST's theming isn't a near rip off of Batman The Ride, I don't know what is.  That pastoral part of the park has been reduced to looking worse than the average Six Flags' Batman The Ride area.  And that's pretty bad, indeed.  And the coaster isn't even a good one like BTR is.

The sad thing is there is no guarantee that the next owner will be better.  We may well be posting on some board some day:

Remember the good old days?  Back when Paramount owned the parks?  Back when they had FearFest?  Back when they still put in major coasters?  Back when season passes were affordable?  When the water park didn't cost extra?  When parking was ONLY nine dollars?

Yes, the park will change under new ownership. There is no guarantee it will be for the better.

The park you work for isnt in such great shape either.

[The Interpreter]

As I have said here before, I am not an employee of a park, any owner thereof nor for a media company. I have never been an employee of Kings Island or its successor companies, nor of Six Flags.

More than that I am not going to say.

And the park you are no doubt referring to doesn't even open until four weeks from tomorrow. About two weeks before PKI. What shape it is in, or what shape PKI is in, should best be judged after the parks open for the season.

This will by no means be a normal season for any Paramount or Six Flags park. Or for Cedar Fair, either, for that matter. Knotts Berry Farm just had an 11 percent decrease in its admission price. Same story at Cedar Point. Geauga is struggling. Worlds of Fun finally gets a new coaster, but not just because someone had some extra money to spend.

Times are so abnormal (and I study this industry so carefully) that when Six Flags Over Georgia opens Saturday morning, I intend to be there. Others will be running around trying to get rides on every thing they can. I will be watching the ride ops, the managers, the crowds, the reactions to the parking fee (whatever it may be), and, just for kicks, I may even buy a season pass to see how long that takes, how I am treated, etc. Then about three weeks later, I may repeat that experience at a park in North Carolina, then a week later in Jersey. A couple of weeks later, on a Friday, I may well be in Mason, Ohio. You could even look for me, but I bet you wouldn't know me if you saw me. Look for the guy in the suit and...oh, never mind. I'm talking too much.

The times, they are a changin.

[jzarley]

A couple of weeks later, on a Friday, I may well be in Mason, Ohio. You could even look for me, but I bet you wouldn't know me if you saw me. Look for the guy in the suit and...oh, never mind. I'm talking too much.

The times, they are a changin.

Well, at least a guy wearing a suit (and apparently taking notes) won't be conspicuous at a theme park...

[vortexdemon05]

Chris, Vortex will be removed if it needs to be. King Cobra was the first stand-up looping steel in North America, that's pretty impressive. The average life for a steel coaster is 18 years if I remember right. Vortex will be removed when the cost of running it outways the benefits. Let's face it Vortex won't last forever, but I don't see it going anywhere soon. If it does go i see something big going in it's place. I happen to think Delirium was a great substitute for King Cobra.

im not saying that they will never get rid of Vortex what im saying is that Vortex is popular right now so no i cant see them takeing it out yet and how meny yearshave people said

"i have hurd that they are takeing Vortex out at the end of the season"

but i will say that Vortex would be lucky if it makes it to 2012 or so. but thats all i have to say

[HomerJay]

I think the question of whether Kings Island was better before or after Paramount took over is pretty tough. I think a big part of the reason we believe it was better before is that there's a strong nostalgia attached to it. When we were younger, we believed Kings Island was some magical, enchanting place that existed so that we could forget about the outside world...let's not forget, however, that adverstising and reminders of that world were still present with rides sponsored by Kodak, John Deere, etc.

In reality, Kings Island is and always has been a money-making venture. That's the nature of the business. When Taft owned it, the biggest concern most likely wasn't whether families were happy and joyful but rather whether money was being made. They just chose to do it a bit differently than Paramount.

I went to Kings Island for several years, probably close to 13, before Paramount took over. And I do have to say there were some definite benefits. Most notably, there was a much greater emphasis made on theming different sections of the park. When you went from Oktoberfest to Coney Mall to Wild Animal Habitat...you KNEW you were going into a different zone because there was such a unique feel. The only thing that maintains any sort of the old feeling today is Rivertown, and even that feels smaller.

The shows were much better before Paramount (an ENTERTAINMENT company!) took over. I remember the kids' shows being held in the International Showplace and it was great to have them mixing up all the Hanna Barbara characters in one show (and even reusing Gargamel--anyone remember Dr. Evilyelp?) and having a live band in the kids shows.

Also, I do LOATHE the tv sets placed throughout the park. I hate standing in line for a ride and watching previews of Paramount movies or stupid music videos. At least Cedar Point has live djays in line, which really helps.

But, Paramount has done more to tranform Kings Island from being the Midwest's Secret to being an American destination. There aren't as many record-breaking coasters, but there are more unique rides throughout the park. And while the theming has gone downhill, there HAS been a more concerted effort to create rides with more complex special effects, like TR:TR and IJST.

And I know people mourn the loss of Hanna Barbara. But let's remember why a child's area exists: to attract the children...not nostalgic adults. Kids don't grab their parents and go "Let's go see Scooby Doo and Fred Flinstone!" They WILL, however, be thrilled to see Spongebob Squarepants and others there. So NU is a good business move and will probably be very successful.

With new owners...who knows? We could get a company like Taft that wants to restore some of the old charm to KI. We could get a company like Six Flags that completely cheapens it and turns it into another McPark. Or we could hopefully get a company that combines the successes of Taft and Paramount and turns KI into something better than it has ever been.

[AamieAndShawn]

"The old time cars have been replaced with a roller coaster that I did not even bother to stand in line to ride. And the old time cars were relaxing. Enjoyable."

I cant say i agree or disagree but I will say this I will miss the antique cars lots of memorys with those. I grew up in the 80's and I know im not alone when I say "if the cars could talk they can tell a million storys" an a hot summer evening thats were the kids went to make-out. I kissed my first girl there and got to do other things you do with fingers but I wont go there. Need to start a new thread with peoples storys and the antique cars lol

[Guest TombraiderTy]

Let's see what Paramount HAS done.

- Add the world's tallest wooden roller coaster, which is also the fastest and only modern one with a loop

- Been death free since the purchase of the park

- Brought back Winterfest

-Introduced Fear Fest, the mid west's scariest halloween attraction

- Developed a whole new kids area, with rides that weren't all flat rides

- Opened the world's first enclosed and giant top spin

- Created the world's first giant frisbee ride

- Opened a new water park with the longest slide of its type and another that is the only slide of it's type

- Opened the first interactive ride in the park's history

- Created one of the most themed attractions you can know of

[kjkjkj]

well said