If you were Cedar Fair, what would you do...

[Young Gunz]

Since there's a lot of back and forth about what PKI has done right and wrong over the past decade, let me ask you: if you were in charge of Cedar Fair, what would you do to change the park? Now let's be realistic... they spent over a billion dollars purchasing the chains, so let's not kid ourselves and talk about large ride additions just yet. I'm talking more operational.

Personally, I would begin by lowering drink prices. At Geauga Lake, they're about $1 cheaper than PKI, which was still expensive but just slightly out of the realm of what's reasonable. Food prices should be lowered as well. Give it up for $.25 cotton candy!

I would add more live shows and entertainment. I think the feeling of at home Americana would be much better with the traditional bandstand style entertainment, in addition to major shows in the Paramount Theatre and International Showplace.

I would do a hard evaluation of maintanance at the park. I would give them the budget to do what needs to get done, and if things like unusually rough rides and degraded themeing continued, I would replace those who should be in charge of it with someone who can get it done.

I would make a strong, strong effort to keep the park as clean as possible. I would set up guidelines as to how often areas should be sweapt or trash changed out and hold people accountable for it. If there's one good thing about Geauga it's that the midways are so clean that you could eat off of them. Let's hope that PKI can do the same.

Your thoughts would be appreciated!

[PhantomTheater]

CF loves clean midways, i would expect that at KI also. Food prices should come down, CP midway meals average about 7 bucks and includes sandwich and fries. Also expect cleaner bathrooms, at both CP and GL i have often walked in when they are cleaning them. Finnaly, maitence is good for ride related stuff at CF parks, but theming upkeep is not, just look at Disaster Transport.

[The New England Snapper]

expect a better ran theme park! Better capacity rides! Better food options and please Cedar Fair if your reading this PLEASE PAVE OUR PARKING LOT!!!!! bc Paramount is way to cheap to do it! Thanks

MOD EDIT: PLEASE WATCH THE LANGUAGE!

[coasterville]

Lets' see:

* I see the Gold Pass program as it exists today going away.

* Along with the point above, I see the Gold Pass and Premier parking areas going away.

* I think we have already seen the start of utilizing larger ride crews, I know the speed at Beast and Vortex and some other rides has already improved.

* Greeters in front of every ride checking heights, screening for loose articles, answereing questions and/or "guest relating"

* Groupers at the major rides like the coasters, note I didn't say seat assigners. CF parks like to ease congestion on the obarding platform by only allowing a trainload or teo of riders into the loading area at a time. They are also good at pairing up single riders in this method. I would not be all that surpriised to see mechanical turnstiles installed at every ride at roughly the grouper point.

* Re-evaluating (and hopefully lowering) the food consession prices. Please, pretty please, with powdered sugar on top?

* At this point, I would take quantity over quality in regards to live entertainment. Sure, Paramount put a lot into School of Rock, but look at all the other live performance venues the park has sitting dark.

* Along those lines - let's do a massive conversion of Wings into a Red Garter Saloon, it would fit into the classic Rivertown feel, we could replace the cafeteria lines with table service, giving the park a sit down restaurant, and like the Red Garter, we could put a stage at one end, probably the more enclosed (less windowed) end nearest Nick. The saloon show is a Cedar Fair staple, why not import it. (I realize we may need to modify Wings to allow for proper emergency exits as the stage would go about right where the fire doors are on that end)

* Cedar Point style frozen custard stands a plus

* Restoring the Train Ride - I believe that another board member is championing that cause.

* Happy Days Diner can easily become a Coasters Diner

* More flat rides for Coney Mall - the area is supposed to look like a 1950's-1960's classic amusement park midway, it needs more rides. We can knock down the abandoned food stand next to the Skeeball building, basically tearing out the Euro Bungy and the old Cinema 180 building. We could fit maybe 2-3 flat rides in that area. Maybe the mostly disused store between It's Fried and the Scrambler could be demolished for another ride or two.

- You might find it wierd, but I am not advocating a giant new rollercoaster, though I surely would not complain if one were installed. I guess I just want to turn back time to the Taft Entertainment days.

Of course a cool long term plan would be to sacrifice Son of Beast (hear me out now!), the we run a new midway from about where Days of Thunder is, through the old animal habitat area, looping back around and rejoining the park next to the Flight of Fear building in Coney. I mean we could fit a couple nice coasters in the space Son of Beast is taking up, and that animal habitat was what, almost 100 acres? Prime expansion area for more fun. Of course perhaps we could sacrifice Days of Thunder and keep Son of Beast, but I'm not quite sure how that midway connection would look.

Oh, and I suppose the midways could use an extensive powerwashing and cleaning project, but I understand that might be in progress. A clean park is a happy park!

[Captain Picard]

You talk like you want to turn it into Cedar Point.

[screamingnight]

Lower ticket prices. Cancel bring a friend free days.

[Peej]

Oh, and I suppose the midways could use an extensive powerwashing and cleaning project, but I understand that might be in progress. A clean park is a happy park!

I read "midways" as "midwest." I'd be in favor of that

[coasterville]

Cpt. Picard:

Not really, I just want to turn it back into what it was before Paramount took over.

Coney Mall is supposed to be reminicent of the old Coney Island which was a prime example of a 50's/60's style midway lines with rides. If that so happens to sound like the Main Midway at Cedar Pioint, so be it.

Coasters diner is just an obvious overlay if they need to remove the Happy Days theming.

IIRC correctly, the Columbia Palace (now Wings) did have a saloon style show early on in the parks infancy. I just want to bring that kind of stuff back, and if Cedar Fair already has a theme package and vehicle for it, then why reinvent the wheel.

Besides, the OP asked what do you think they should do, and I don't think its out of line to expect that once they get their hands on the rides operations office, that they will run things like they do in their existing parks.

Any similiarity to Cedar Point is purely coincidental. Besides if I wanted to to be like Cedar Point, I would have said they needed to add more coasters.

[The Interpreter]

...and 13,654 trash cans....

[TheKlockster]

Kings Dominion has started taking delivery of Rubbermaids from what I hear...

[cstrwomann]

I wouldn't change the Paramount perks at all. I would keep these thigs the same. I would like to see a cleaner park, more variety in regards to souveneirs/merchandise, more security in the parks, less vandalism, lower food prices, a sit down restraunt with buffet, more entertainment, new attractions added to park and water park alternately and things painted/repaired as needed.

[BoddaH1994]

...and 13,654 trash cans....

I don't see why you guys make fun of that. I really don't think it detracts from the scenery and it makes for a cleaner, more convenient park. What more could you ask for?

[The Interpreter]

I'm not making fun of it....and I am not at all sure that number is an overstatement, if it is for all five Paramount Parks. Don't be even a little surprised if ALL current trash cans get replaced and hundreds more get added at each park, if not thousands.

[TheKlockster]

Cedar Point is quite clean. I think at fewest there were like 10 trash cans within my sight - and at most I counted 27. But the park looks alot nicer. Plus all the cans have the same logo on them.

[westcoaster]

We need Coney mall with more flat rides, a tilt a whirl, a flying scooter(eagles) a antique car ride , and some type of spinning ride like a tea cup. Also bring back skylab and the electric rainbow.

I think 1 new coaster over the next 3 years a major one maybe 4 seats across and just plain awseome on a new midway near Flight of Fear!

Keep the season pass gate at Boomerang bay and everything else keep like it is just with plain names. And no paramount.

also for oktoberfest add a ferris wheel and better dining options

the areas of the park would be called:

International street

Oktober Fest

Action Zone

Nickelodeon Universe

Boomerang Bay

River City

and

Coney Island

and

where Flight of Fear would be with a new area

Coaster Alley:

Finally plenty of reasonable priced sit down restraunts and great shop's!\

Maybe a downtown Kings Island area with shops restraunts night life and more!

[The Interpreter]

Why River City? What's wrong with River Town?

[TOPGUN1993]

* Restoring the Train Ride - I believe that another board member is championing that cause.

Wow people remember me

[Williams]

I would first add a show into the festhouse again, redo the train so it had a 'show' with it. I would also clean up the midways.

[SOB_TOM]

1) Ban the name Van from ever working at the park

2) Destroy any evidence of their ever being a Van in Tech Services

3) Larger budget to Animation and Creative servicesto upkeep theming

4) Destroy Spongebob and Scooby Doo (but thats just me. Death the the Sponge and the Stoned-Dog!)

[Avatar]

Destroy Spongebob and Scooby Doo (but thats just me. Death the the Sponge and the Stoned-Dog!)

You SOB TOM; you just made my daughter cry.

[SOB_TOM]

They will get over it.

To be completely honest, I dont know why parents let their kids watch those two shows. Spongebob is the epipheny of stupidity (Lets take a sponge, make him act like the dumbest Burger King worker out there), and Patrick has the mentality of my 6 month old nephew. As for Scooby, its a nerd, a football jock, a cheerleader, a stoner and his equally stoned dog. To be honest, Im not letting my kids grow up on that garbage. At least the old HB characters had some intelligence (hell even Bugs Bunny knew enough to trick the hunter)

[Avatar]

I actually 100% agree with you SOB TOM; I think the only reason why my daughter even knows about them is because its pushed onto to her in so many ways and venues. She really only watches shows on the NOGGIN channel for the most part. As a parent I like that because it focuses more on the educational side that deals with animation characters. Like DORA, GO DIEGO GO and Franklin. They also have some shows that deal with manners and young children's daily issues, like Little Bear. I think the last two mentioned would have worked well with the young Guests at Kings Island.

[Mr.Son of Beast]

I didn't know Little Bear still aired.

[coaster-chickie]

I used to love little bear and franklin when i was little...heck, i still watched them both with my lil' sis when she watched that sorta stuff....which was only about a year or 2 ago...

but i don't see anything wrong with kids watching spongebob, sure it's not exactly educational, but I think it's a good think that it appeals to some older kids too, as i'm sure you would rather your preteen/early teenager to watch spongebob then most of the trash on MTV. I'm 13 and i still love spongebob lol...I'd much rather watch that than listen to *BARF* rap....*shudder*. And I think I would know (since I'm that age group) that you're probably not going to get someone of that age to watch an "educational" cartoon. Yeah, SB may not be the best choice for younger kids that will still enjoy Nick Jr. type shows, but once then get older than about first grade, it's going to be hard to find many educational type shows that they won't think are babyish or boring.

[SOB_TOM]

Hasnt it been proven that children watching educational cartoons growing up tend to be smarter or something?

I have no problem with preteens watching that garbage. However, the way I was raised is that you have about 1 hr to watch tv a night that you pick. You can watch with the family, but you personally have 1 hr. I know that back then, there would be no way in hell I would pick Spongebob.

The way kids are growing up now is that mommy and daddy are too busy doing "other things" to watch what their kids are watching on tv. So they sue the government whenever they dont feel that what is on tv is "family." I guarantee you that over half of those who have sued have spent more time on the internet or talking on the phone or playing a game than with their kids.

Welcome to America.

[Mr.Son of Beast]

Ok if I were Cedar Fair I'd pop a strata coaster in over International Street and use the Eifel Tower for a support and build off of it the rest of the way up and maybe reinforce some of the supports and cross sections on the Eifel Tower and make it 520ft. high...but would it still be considered a strata coaster or would it be a new bred?

[The Interpreter]

If I were Cedar Fair, I would figure out some way to get the massive debt they incurred in acquiring Paramount Parks paid off as quickly as practicable. This would mean that most of my capital investment would go into "quick bang for the buck" stuff...I would want to make sure I didn't end up in the dilemma that Six Flags faces...how to make enough to pay even the required debt service to keep the creditors happy.

[King Maple The Tree King]

3) Larger budget to Animation and Creative servicesto upkeep theming

You know Cedar Fair usually contracts jobs like those to outside companies, and they actaually get done. No chair races at Cedar Fair parks.

[RingMaster]

3) Larger budget to Animation and Creative servicesto upkeep theming

You know Cedar Fair usually contracts jobs like those to outside companies, and they actaually get done. No chair races at Cedar Fair parks.

If that's the case, then there's no excuse for why they can't renovate Disaster Transport and repair the theming on it, let alone waste over a billion dollars buying five more parks with half of their attractions themed and themed well....for an amusement park of that caliber, at least.

[The Interpreter]

Well, to be fair, at least half of the 1.24 billion dollars they spent for the five Paramount Parks wasn't wasted. But, I would agree....they definitely did overpay.