Knoxville Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 Its been awhile since I have been on these forums but I just had to say something. It seems by the past few trips that PKI is slowly killing themselves. It seems like they are pinching and pinching money out of every little thing for this park selling thing and asking for more in return. So much that its getting outrageous. The entertainment department used to be great. School of Rock is a great show don't get me wrong, but dammit, I don't want to watch it again for another season because people are too cheap to give them some funds to put on a new show. Rumor has it, there is NOT going to be a show in the International Showplace... Their second best venue now just a sitting landmark on a hill. Paramount says they have world class theme parks but it seems like there proving that wrong more and more. Nick Universe is nothing more than a new paint job and some carnie rides (except Avatar). This thing that Flight of Fear not being listed as a main attraction is something to watch too. Overall, it seems like there asking these poor kids to work more and more, as in reducing a ride crew of 5 to 3. This in return makes them less friendly and upbeat. Lets all hope there is light at the end of the tunnel or PKI will die of Paramount cancer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrandPoobah Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 Yeah, I notice and understand exactly what you're saying. However, I actually like Nick Universe; even though its not something I'm terribly interested in visiting I still think it's a solid upgrade for the park. This year is looking like its going to be an off year. But if the rumors I'm hearing are true we'll be very happy with who the new owner is going to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelixSpiral Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 Lets all hope there is light at the end of the tunnel or PKI will die of Paramount cancer. Paramount cancer. I like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outdoor Man Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 for what it's worth, pki did have a rather expensive year. a new coaster, despite what you think of IJST... it is still new and costs serious $$$$. SOB continues to be a maintanence money hog, WinterFest was a huge investment, and the remodeling of NU took some funding. Though I agree about the shows.... it would not have taken much investment to run a new show. what's up with FOF not being listed as a main attraction... can someone explain what that means? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SOB_TOM Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 Let me ask a question: Paramount is selling the parks. Do you really think they care about what the parks look like anymore? Plus, if you knew where all the money was really going, you would understand that the park is pushing it for maintenance budget. So its not that the park doesnt care, its that theres too much to work on right now. Things will eventually calm down, and will go back to normal. P.S. What was HB before it was torn out, and NU was put in? A bunch of carnie rides minus Ghoster Coaster. That was basically just a really stupid comment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flightoffear1996 Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 Yea you have got a point there it was a bunch of canie rides before and after NU. One of the main reasons why I think many of you think that the park is going to have an off year is because they are understaffed. Just give them time to work things out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Browntggrr Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 P.S. What was HB before it was torn out, and NU was put in? A bunch of carnie rides minus Ghoster Coaster. That was basically just a really stupid comment. Even though HBL was a bunch of carnie rides, PKI has hyped NU to the point that you would think that everything has changed, and minus a couple rides and some new paint it really hasn't. It really was not a stupid comment. With HBL, we knew what to expect. With NU we were led to believe it would be drastically different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flightoffear1996 Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 Well it is alot different. The rides they had are in different locactions and they tore at a coaster:( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarketingExpress Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 Overall, it seems like there asking these poor kids to work more and more, as in reducing a ride crew of 5 to 3. This in return makes them less friendly and upbeat. Im just wondering what ride you are refering too here?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam12 Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 Lets all hope there is light at the end of the tunnel or PKI will die of Paramount cancer. Paramount cancer. I like that. ME TOO!!! ROFL! -adam12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WooferBearATL Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 Killing Me Softly With His Song ( Roberta Flack ) Strumming my pain with his fingers, Singing my life with his words, Killing me softly with his song, Killing me softly with his song, Telling my whole life with his words, Killing me softly with his song ... I heard he sang a good song, I heard he had a style. And so I came to see him to listen for a while. And there he was this young boy, a stranger to my eyes. Strumming my pain with his fingers, Singing my life with his words, Killing me softly with his song, Killing me softly with his song, Telling my whole life with his words, Killing me softly with his song ... I felt all flushed with fever, embarrassed by the crowd, I felt he found my letters and read each one out loud. I prayed that he would finish but he just kept right on ... Strumming my pain with his fingers, Singing my life with his words, Killing me softly with his song, Killing me softly with his song, Telling my whole life with his words, Killing me softly with his song ... He sang as if he knew me in all my dark despair. And then he looked right through me as if I wasn't there. But he just came to singing, singing clear and strong. Strumming my pain with his fingers, Singing my life with his words, Killing me softly with his song, Killing me softly with his song, Telling my whole life with his words, Killing me softly with his song ... He was strumming, oh, he was singing my song. Killing me softly with his song, Killing me softly with his song, Telling my whole life with his words, Killing me softly with his song ... With his song ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UncleHenry Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 Wooferbear, that song warrants you a "Get off the internet kthxbye" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PKIWorker19 Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 As a member of the Food Service Department, I know what you are talking about with the prices and trying to get every little cent out of a product. I work at one of the Carts locations and you would not believe the amount of times I get asked,"Why are the prices so high?" I can't answer that because I don't make them. PKI was actually the CHEAPEST of all the Paramount Parks until this year which is why we saw a rise in prices so we are level with the other parks. PKI does need to realize that they are pricing themselves out of the market by charging that much at the gate and then not letting up once you get in the park. Cedar Point actually lowered their ticket prices because they saw a drop in attendance and are trying to remedy that. PKI seems to be trying to get people to stay home by charging that much. Then there is the labor concern with PKI. We have 3,000 seasonal associates with an AVERAGE payrate of 7.65. Do you know how much money KI has to shell out just to pay us? A LOT! Say there were a 1000 associates that worked at the park ONE day for say 8 hours. That is 8000 hours times 7.65 which is around 61,000 dollars that they have to pay for labor. Then they have to maintain the rides and then there is Son of Beast which is just causing more problems and causing more money to be spent. Kings Island is also understaffed big time. We have hired (at least in Food Service) unreliable people who do not show up and that is hurting up tremendously. So overall, I do believe Kings Island is pushing it, but I have to believe that they are doing it for a reason other than to make money, cause there are some serious things wrong that need fixing and I hope they fix them and don't just hand them off the the people who buy us, otherwise you won't see a change in how things are run because that company will have to clean up PKI's mess and then start on remaking the park to be better and more friendly and just generally a better time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erosarrow05 Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 ... PKI is not pricing themselves out of the market by a long shot... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasper Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 I do not think PKI is killing themseleves because they have good money managing skills unlike Six Flags and if they start to catch paramount cancer then i am sure that they will pull themselevs out of the ground. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WooferBearATL Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 I do not think PKI is killing themseleves because they have good money managing skills unlike Six Flags and if they start to catch paramount cancer then i am sure that they will pull themselevs out of the ground. Been to Six Flags this year? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaggy Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 It's easy for those involved in the business world to see what is going on. PPI is attempting to cut operating costs, streamline budgets and staffing, as well as increase profitability. No doubt to look appealing to potential buyers. Must have worked since there seems to be a forthcoming announcement. In terms of Nick Universe being full of "carnie rides" well, didn't they only add three new ones? One is a Frog Hopper that is permanently installed, one is Avatar, which is a permanent install, and the other is the Zamperla Kite Flyer which is also permanently installed. Other than those three, all other rides existed before, and no one called them "carnie" rides prior TMK. Hmmm, terrible isn't it? Well maybe to the novice. But early insider reports are that attendance is already way up at PKI for the season. Now, Imagine a PKI without "Paramount." Imagine it without Tomb Raider. Imagine it without Paramount Action FX Theatre, or Days of Thunder, or Top Gun, or Congo Falls, or Face/Off, or Paramount Theatre, or Italian Job, or... well, you get the idea. Now fold your arms and *blink.* Poof... your wish just came true. Shaggy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoddaH1994 Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 I still don't buy the idea that all of the Paramount themeing will be gone next year or any time soon. Unless another media company buys it, it's going to be less about promotion and more about money. I think licensing rights will definitely be part of the package. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Picard Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 I get exactly what he is saying. Shaggy that is. Don't blink Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WooferBearATL Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 Imagine a PKI without "Paramount." Imagine it without Tomb Raider. Imagine it without Paramount Action FX Theatre, or Days of Thunder, or Top Gun, or Congo Falls, or Face/Off, or Paramount Theatre, or Italian Job, or... well, you get the idea. All could easily be re-themed or changed back to itheir original names. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlopez Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 I agree, i think PKI is going down hill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alien Seed Posted May 16, 2006 Share Posted May 16, 2006 Overall, it seems like there asking these poor kids to work more and more, as in reducing a ride crew of 5 to 3. This in return makes them less friendly and upbeat. Im just wondering what ride you are refering too here?? Tomb Raider would be an example...down from a crew of 6 to a crew of 4. Antechamber will no longer be used because PKI basically wants to save a few bucks. Of course that door effect could never be fixed anyways, but you all know how hard it is for a multibillion dollar corporation to go out and buy a decent projector. Greeter position is also history just for the sake of pinching that penny even harder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjkjkj Posted May 16, 2006 Share Posted May 16, 2006 i think they, just need to not build an attraction one year and use the money and time to fix up themeing on rides and stuff like that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasper Posted May 16, 2006 Share Posted May 16, 2006 I do not think PKI is killing themseleves because they have good money managing skills unlike Six Flags and if they start to catch paramount cancer then i am sure that they will pull themselevs out of the ground. Been to Six Flags this year? I know i have no right to say that but i should have said later years ago when it was no good. Sorry for the mistake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Bombay Posted May 16, 2006 Share Posted May 16, 2006 ^You have every right to state your opinion, with the exception of a few SF has a bad reputation for crummy parks. SFOG has always looked amazing and SFGA in NJ is fantastic but have you been to SFKK lately or did you go to AStroworld ever when it was under Six Flags? Eww, they were BAD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outdoor Man Posted May 16, 2006 Share Posted May 16, 2006 not that ride branding is all that important but if the rides themes were changed after an acquisition, to most they would always be the Paramount name(s) for a while. To re-theme Top Gun to Thunder Road.... OK, maybe someday, but I would subconsciously always refer to it as Top Gun. Now, assume that Cedar Fair is one of the interested parties.... would they buy the naming rights? Everything at Gauega Lake was changed, even beyond the Warner Brothers themed items. I know they probably really didn't have an option to retain the Warner Brothers tags but I would see their motif running consistant with their other parks, much like Paramount did with all of the KECO parks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
standbyme Posted May 16, 2006 Share Posted May 16, 2006 I think Shaggy's message kind of got lost on a few of you...I think what he meant was don't forget all of the good things Paramount has done...there are plenty. I also see a little cost cutting...but can you blame them...it is a business. I for one am not happy that Paramount is selling the park...I enjoy it now and worry that the new owners (whoever they may be) will not improve the park. I have always been a "careful what you wish for" kind-of-a-guy! For all the people complaing about how Paramount has run the park, I hope in a year you will not be saying "Gee, I wish Paramount had never sold the park". My mind set is: I hope the park stays at LEAST as good as it is now...I would be happy with that...if it improves then that is just a VERY nice little extra. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Picard Posted May 16, 2006 Share Posted May 16, 2006 I think the message was that someone did blink and it came true. Prepare yourself for a forthcoming announcement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelixSpiral Posted May 16, 2006 Share Posted May 16, 2006 ^ That's not that big of a leap considering we know the parks are for sale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheKlockster Posted May 16, 2006 Share Posted May 16, 2006 I don't get why everyone's *****in... The park is better this year than it has been in the past 15 years! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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