Wow...Just, wow

[Reclaimer]

First, a link to the article:

http://www.pointbuzz.com/news.htm?id=941

Now, my comments:

It was an interesting read, don't get me wrong. I found it a bit funny it was so hard to remember the name of the parks brand new signature kid's area, and instead decide to call it Nickelodeon Adventure.

The thing that I just don't understand is how someone can even say Cedar Point's kiddy lands are better than Kings Island's. Not only have we gotten the Golden Ticket for it year after year, but the GP loves it as well. People on here make fun of KI's kids area, calling it a carnival, but I think Cedar Point's takes the cake. We've got a wide selection of rides with a mini-Drop Zone, a great-for-everyone Disk-O, a mini-coaster (inverted, no less!), a classic kid's woodie, a great dark ride, among many other things. With that kind of selection, what Stoner* would choose Cedar Point's kid's areas over KI's?

Side note: It did say the lady was from Fishers, IN. That pretty much explains it...they don't have much sense over there.

*Read the article. It was hard to resist.

[gburn07]

Hey my cousins live in Fishers lol

[The Interpreter]

I'm still trying to get over Scooby Doo, built years before Beast was ever thought of, being a miniature Beast.

And no classic rides in Nick? What the heck is Fairly Odd? Where oh where is CP's miniature wood?

Don't anyone tell them the flume is in Rivertown....or where it came from.

Sigh.

I see this as a typical article about parks by someone who knows virtually nothing about parks, cares even less about parks and proves it, in spades.

And Fishers is an Indy suburb.

I have many friends there.

It's a nice place.

[WooferBearATL]

WOW, pretty nice article. Great comparisons.

[gburn07]

I agreed with some of the comparisons about the parks though....and yes Fishers is nice lol

[cewldre]

Wow... so am I supposed to believe that article had much, if any, validity? Yes, some of the comparisons were nice, especially since it seemed to be catered toward those from the Cedar Point/ Sandusky area who may have never been down this way. Just wow though. Some of the things it says is just flat out disturbing. Calling The Beast a rickety old ride at the end... Or how they say that the Festhaus is settled nicely in KI's frontier land, and we all know the pioneers loved their beer. I could be wrong, but the actual Oktoberfest theming would suggest German heritage, and Germans indeed do like to drink.... Best part is, Cedar Points "Frontier" area does indeed have places to go in and buy a cold beer.

I think this article was just overwhelmingly biased... Oh well.....

[WooferBearATL]

Wow... so am I supposed to believe that article had much, if any, validity? Yes, some of the comparisons were nice, especially since it seemed to be catered toward those from the Cedar Point/ Sandusky area who may have never been down this way. Just wow though. Some of the things it says is just flat out disturbing. Calling The Beast a rickety old ride at the end... Or how they say that the Festhaus is settled nicely in KI's frontier land, and we all know the pioneers loved their beer. I could be wrong, but the actual Oktoberfest theming would suggest German heritage, and Germans indeed do like to drink.... Best part is, Cedar Points "Frontier" area does indeed have places to go in and buy a cold beer.

I think this article was just overwhelmingly biased... Oh well.....

I have no doubt that you would think that it was biased.

Take a step back and place the article in perspective and it may be much more informative.

[The Interpreter]

I'd be willing to do that, if the Sandusky Register writer also takes a step back and takes Cedar Point off the high pedestal he apparently keeps it on.

Then again, he knows where his paycheck comes from. . . He isn't paid to be unbiased...he's paid to write for the local Sandusky audience, a task he does quite well.

For instance:

* Cedar Point also sells beer. Unlike at Kings Island, one can wander all over Cedar Point with open containers of beer, last I checked.

* Cedar Point also has commercialization all over the park, just for different things.

Lastly, it must be remembered that soon, for that Sandusky writer and for us all, Cedar Point and Kings Island will be kin.

[WooferBearATL]

I'd be willing to do that, if the Sandusky Register writer also takes a step back and takes Cedar Point off the high pedestal he apparently keeps it on.

Then again, he knows where his paycheck comes from. . . He isn't paid to be unbiased...he's paid to write for the local Sandusky audience, a task he does quite well.

For instance:

* Cedar Point also sells beer. Unlike at Kings Island, one can wander all over Cedar Point with open containers of beer, last I checked.

* Cedar Point also has commercialization all over the park, just for different things.

Lastly, it must be remembered that soon, for that Sandusky writer and for us all, Cedar Point and Kings Island will be kin.

Maybe I'm just different in that I approach it that yes the writer is going to have some bias.

But you have to read between that bias and dig for the little tidbits.

It's not exactly like the writer slammed the park.

[Reclaimer]

Correct. Just needs to straighten out some facts.

As for the Fishers comment...it was a joke. I actually live just outside of Fishers and hang out there all the time.

[The Interpreter]

When much that is written is either flat out wrong or very misleading, I doubt that I will give much weight to the 'tidbits.'

At most, this is the perspective of a guest at KI who had not been there before, a guest who has much reverence for things at Cedar Point; a reverence he darn sure better have, given who he is employed by.

It also must be rememebered that the tactic of poking gentle fun at those yokels who live 'over there' is a timeworn one, one that generally works well.

Heck, we are talking about this article, which we might not be otherwise...

[WooferBearATL]

And that is exactly who a business needs to be concerned with.

Many that vist the park are loyal to other parks. For many it is their first time to the park. Come one, most of us on here have been to the park many hundreds of times. That puts us in a bit of a different catagory.

I was able to gleam a lot from the article.

[The Interpreter]

Perhaps a Cinci Enquirer writer, one who is NOT a park expert, should wander up Cedar Point way and write a similar screed.

Might be amusing!

Then Mr. Kinzel could sit down and read both....

[GrandPoobah]

The guy writing the article didn't have much of a clue, but I don't think anything he said was that darning toward PKI.

[gburn07]

There were some true statements though....the writer did mention that the entrance to PKI is much nicer than the concrete Jungle of CP's. It is also true that PKI does not have the lake and bay views that CP does. Thats a pretty fair and true statement there. I also agree that the posters in Action Zone are pretty cheesy. They weren't really bashing the rides here either that much.

[vortexdemon05]

i can not judge i only been to pkis kiddie land

[LongLiveTheSmurfRide]

Overall an OK article. Though it doesn't say much to most of us who have been to both parks and already compair them. I don't like the fact that he included that lady's comments in his article at all. Everyone knows how much more unique and popular KI's kids area is to CP's, so why even include some nut's opinion when you don't point out how many awards it's won? That's like going to Holiday World and finding the one person there who thinks Cedar Point has better wooden coasters and printing their opinion. Everyone knows that's nuts, so why print it? Ah well.

[WooferBearATL]

Perhaps a Cinci Enquirer writer, one who is NOT a park expert, should wander up Cedar Point way and write a similar screed.

Might be amusing!

Then Mr. Kinzel could sit down and read both....

I'm sorry but when did the Enquirer obtain a park expert?

They certainly didn't have any when I lived up that way!

[WooferBearATL]

There were some true statements though....the writer did mention that the entrance to PKI is much nicer than the concrete Jungle of CP's. It is also true that PKI does not have the lake and bay views that CP does. Thats a pretty fair and true statement there. I also agree that the posters in Action Zone are pretty cheesy. They weren't really bashing the rides here either that much.

I don't know how you can say that.

It's purely biased what the writer had to say.

Kings Island has Oktoberfest Lake and Swan Lake!

They Obviously don't know what they're saying!!! <G>

[UncleHenry]

I sent a letter to the editor of the newspaper he writes for. This is not the only article this guy wrote about PKI and Cedar Point. I argued against both articles in my letter. Here it is in its entirety...

I am a Cincinnati resident, not born, but raised here since the age of 3. I have been visiting Paramount's Kings Island since 1997, and every year, I have ridden the rides, enjoyed the scenery, and had a great day.

Recently, due to the purchase of Paramount Parks by Cedar Fair, I feel my local park has been under attack by one of your writers, Benjamin Roode. He has written two articles on the park, and both of them criticize it as being inferior to Cedar Point. In his first article "Fans say parks should keep unique ways" He stated, "Kings Island doesn't have that stepping-stone approach, he said -- it's all thrill rides for Greater Cincinnati." Has he ever even visted the park? Cedar Point seems to be the park with "all thrills". All of their major attractions since my first visit to Cedar Point in 2000 have been major thrill rides. What have they done for their kids area? What have they done for family attractions? It seems nothing. Kings Island has put in many rides for all types of groups. Thrill seekers got Son of Beast in 2000, Tomb Raider in 2002, and Delirium in 2003. Families got the Italian Job in 2005. Children got Scooby Doo and the Haunted Castle in 2003, and Nickelodeon Universe in 2006. Clearly, something for everyone.

I sent Benjamin an e-mail after reading this article, and he claimed that these arguments in the article were not from him, but, "a roller coaster enthusiast". Well how about interviewing more than one person next time Benjamin. GOOD research takes getting both sides of the story.

In his last article, "Fit for a King", he took it a step further. He claimed the ride "Face/Off" was, "much like an answer to the Wicked Twister". Last time I checked, Wicked Twister was built some years after Face/Off.

Next, he criticized the kids area in the park. He couldn't even get the name of the area right! He called the kids area "Nickelodeon Adventure" when the correct name of the area is Nickelodeon Universe". He interviewed a woman named Cindy Stoner about the kids area, and she said, "They (Cedar Point) have a better kids area too". Kings Island has won the Golden Ticket Award for best childrens area in the world for five years in a row. Clearly, the industry leaders think otherwise.

He then went on to say, "Virtually none of the rides in the children's section are classic, amusement rides like the Dune Buggies, Motorcycles or Sky Fighters at Cedar Point". Those rides are considered classics? I have visited other parks across the country, and just about every kids area in those parks have those rides he named. Kings Island on the other hand has four kiddy coasters, a record for most in a single park. The Fairly Odd Coaster has been a classic at Kings Island, opening with the park in 1972. While it has gone through many name changes, it still has the same kiddy size thrills it has had since its opening.

Later in the article, he criticized Kings Island for its high food prices, stating that the price of a bottle of water was over three dollars. I have been to both parks, and known from experience that both parks sell the exact same size bottle of soft drinks at the exact same price. You cannot criticize one park for something when other parks (including your local park) do the exact same thing.

Some readers of this may think I am just a Kings Island fanboy who thinks that Kings Island is better than Cedar Point and can't stand people saying Cedar Point is better. I am not. I have visited both parks regularly, and I am even planning another trip to Cedar Point this summer (I already have my ticket). I do not feel one park is better than the other. Instead, I feel that they nearly equal. The difference is they offer different experiences. Kings Island has the world's best kids area, a great collection of wooden rollercoasters (tied for the world record at four), and great entertainment such as the School of Rock show, and the Nickelodeon Parade. Cedar Point offers a thrill seekers dreamland. More coasters than any park, and most of my favorite steel rollercoasters reside behind the gates of the park. Both parks have their good sides, and I feel these balance each other out.

I do ask that Benjamin Roode stop writing articles about the purchase of the parks, because he clearly has a bias toward his local park. Journalists should actually aim for a balanced look at the topics they write about, and it seems Mr. Roode just does not have that ability.

-Brad Ruwe, Cincinnati local

[pyrocoasterkid]

Personally, I don't think it's a horrible comparison... Recall, this is written for the GP who knows very little about this kind of stuff. Some of it may be wrong, but I don't think most people would even notice, much less care. Overall, its gets the facts close to right..... Besides in mentions that there is plenty of room for coaster expansion... who could complain?

[gburn07]

There were some true statements though....the writer did mention that the entrance to PKI is much nicer than the concrete Jungle of CP's. It is also true that PKI does not have the lake and bay views that CP does. Thats a pretty fair and true statement there. I also agree that the posters in Action Zone are pretty cheesy. They weren't really bashing the rides here either that much.

I don't know how you can say that.

It's purely biased what the writer had to say.

Kings Island has Oktoberfest Lake and Swan Lake!

Oh come on you're telling me that those two small lakes have the same atmosphere that Lake Erie has? In now way am I biasing CP but that is the only thing that I like about their park more.

[WooferBearATL]

Personally, I don't think it's a horrible comparison... Recall, this is written for the GP who knows very little about this kind of stuff. Some of it may be wrong, but I don't think most people would even notice, much less care. Overall, its gets the facts close to right..... Besides in mentions that there is plenty of room for coaster expansion... who could complain?

Exactly the point that I've tried to make.

Consider the audience.

[TOPGUN1993]

Kings Island has Oktoberfest Lake and Swan Lake!

And there is WWC lake

[The Interpreter]

So close to right is good enough? Just because the subject is parks?

Sorry, no sale. At least not here.

It's either right or it isn't.

Sloppy reporting is sloppy reporting.

And that was darn sloppy reporting.

Or are you saying the Sandusky audience doesn't deserve accuracy?

[WooferBearATL]

So close to right is good enough? Just because the subject is parks?

Sorry, no sale. At least not here.

It's either right or it isn't.

Sloppy reporting is sloppy reporting.

And that was darn sloppy reporting.

Or are you saying the Sandusky audience doesn't deserve accuracy?

Come on!

It's not as if we're speaking about a Disertation.

It's a little fluff piece.

My Gawd, if I'm not picking it to pieces it certainly must be ok. <G>

[BoddaH1994]

So close to right is good enough?  Just because the subject is parks?

Sorry, no sale.  At least not here.

It's either right or it isn't.

Sloppy reporting is sloppy reporting.

And that was darn sloppy reporting.

Or are you saying the Sandusky audience doesn't deserve accuracy?

Come on!

It's not as if we're speaking about a Disertation.

It's a little fluff piece.

My Gawd, if I'm not picking it to pieces it certainly must be ok. <G>

Wow, that's a mountain out of a mole hill if I've ever seen one.

I can see a strong sense of arrogance from that reporter. It's almost like he came down from big bad Cedar Point to visit our childrens' playground. I wonder what he knows about attendance figures...

[Captain Nemo]

This article is a tough one for me to decide on, do I agree or disagree? In most cases during my read I did not agree 100% with what BENJAMIN ROODE had to say about our park. His constant know-it-alls really got on my nerves, and I also did not like how he compared every ride here with a ride at Cedar Point (Face-Off being Wicked Twisters answer?! I don't think so). You can tell by the way he wrote this he was bashing our park, or he just want to make his home park look better which is understandable. As far as the statement about Cedar Fairs children’s area being "better", all I have to say is... Golden Ticket Award!!!

Now any person whose home park is Cedar Point is obviously going to think that it is the best park and see what ways their park is better than others (admit it, you probably do it to when you visit another park).

[cewldre]

Wow... so am I supposed to believe that article had much, if any, validity? Yes, some of the comparisons were nice, especially since it seemed to be catered toward those from the Cedar Point/ Sandusky area who may have never been down this way. Just wow though. Some of the things it says is just flat out disturbing. Calling The Beast a rickety old ride at the end...  Or how they say that the Festhaus is settled nicely in KI's frontier land, and we all know the pioneers loved their beer. I could be wrong, but the actual Oktoberfest theming would suggest German heritage, and Germans indeed do like to drink.... Best part is, Cedar Points "Frontier" area does indeed have places to go in and buy a cold beer.

I think this article was just overwhelmingly biased... Oh well.....

I have no doubt that you would think that it was biased.

Take a step back and place the article in perspective and it may be much more informative.

you didnt read what I had to say at all, did you woofer? All my points were valid. I stated how I felt, as an opinion from myself. I am reading this as a fan of both parks, not as an employee. You need to get to know someone. You have assumed a lot about me and have made some very rude comments. Get over yourself.

As far as this article is concerned, as I stated, I feel there is much in here that is misleading, at best. That is my opinion.

[ragerunner]

I think this is a small town paper supporting it main employer.

I would agree, even if it was another person opinion, Cedar Points kids area(s) are no way as nice a NU.