Lights out for School of Rock & Nickelodeon Parade

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As a parent of Miss Rae (6) there is only so many times I can watch her go around Swipers Sweepers and act like I’m absolutely ecstatic about watching her come around each time. The shows where a wonderful relief for us as we were able to do it as a family. And when we took our 22 y/o son to watch The School of Rock I was happy because we all enjoyed the show. miss Rae because she wants to be a Rock-n-Roll girl, son, its’ Rock-n-Roll do I need to say more and for the wife and I, well… because we grew up with most of the songs that they played. What I’m taking so long to say is “We all enjoyed the show o’matter what the ages were in our family †that’s a real hard thing to do!!

Now for the Nickelodeon Parade miss Rae is still Kickin It All Over Town, and because she is six and can’t always keep the words straight, she changes them to fit the moment. That parade has had a lasting effect on the young guests that lasts past the parks experience of that day. I think the young guests liked it because it was loud and the employees seemed to be exited about being in it and when they interacted with the young guests, the young guests were drawn right into all the excitement of the parade as it was designed to do.

This family really enjoyed both shows and will miss them immensely, and because our park experience requires more than rides I hope that the departing shows are replaced by shows that are equal in caliber and maybe even a few more shows would be nice.

[RingMaster]

As for ruining the skyline and destroying an entire forest?  What are you smoking?  Have you been living under a rock to NOT have noticed how much beauty PARAMOUNT destroyed with your beloved Italian Job?  Paramount has done MORE in the past 10 years to destroy any beauty and atmosphere that Kings Island had left.  I don't see 300 foot coasters as something to ruin the skyline.  Quite honestly, its a beautiful beautiful sight to drive along the peninsula as you approach CP.  What exactly are Cedar Fair's standards with theming?  I didn't think they had any since they don't run theme parks...only amusement parks.  Again, not like the theming on any of the rides you mentioned play a big factor into the ride experience these days.

Go ride Joker's Jinx at Six Flags America, then come back to Kings Island and ride Flight of Fear, and you'll see how theming plays a big factor into the overall ride experience.

I disagree with Italian Job's space as much as the next guy does; I would have rather seen it go in either DOT's place or where the Helicopter Pad is beside FOF. I also disagree with the overall theming and they could have done a much better job with it, or at least given the ride a nice, abstract view of L.A. But the fact that people bash it up and down because it doesn't go fast enough, or it doesn't go high enough, or it isn't long enough just ****es me off because everyone wants to jump on the Cedar Point/Six Flags bandwagon and say that every park should have a 300 foot Beemer racing through the park, and complain about each and every themed attraction built at PKI.

God, I sound like a CP flamer now, but it pretty much sickens me that every coaster the 'Point builds gets tremendous praise for everyone (particularly those ACE folk), yet there have been numerous other coasters built with ingenious layouts and great uses of theming that are put aside by people who explain that, "Oh, this coaster can't beat Millenium Force because it doesn't go 300 feet," or, "Man, this coaster's fast, but it should be as fast as Top Thrill Dragster or Kingda Ka."

And, sorry to reiterate this again, but, any one coaster in Europe, along with the coasters found in the two Busch Gardens parks and smaller, lesser known parks, are, in my opinion, better and more intuitive that Cedar Point's or Six Flags's brand of thrill rides:

- Nemesis, Alpengheist, Montu & Black Mamba > Raptor & Batman: The Ride

- Air > Tatsu

- Stampeda, The Voyage, Raven, Legend, Hades, Lightning Racers, Thunderhead & Gwazi > Mean Streak & El Toro

- Timber Tower, Tomb Raider: THE RIDE & FIREFALL, Ripsaw, Blade & Tower of Terror > Power Tower, maXair & SkyHawk

....okay, NOW I know I'm going to be hated by everyone here.

[The Interpreter]

Nah. Don't make such absolutist statements! There is at least one poster here is who is NOT overly thrilled by every coaster Cedar Point builds (or even most of them). From Millennium Force to Wicked Twister to Mean Streak to Mantis, Cedar Fair is quite up to the task of building coasters that, in their heart of hearts, even they would admit did not live up to their expectations in at least some ways.

I will say quite honestly that my favorite roller coaster operating in Ohio does not live at Cedar Point or at Kings Island, though it does live in a Cedar Fair park. And it isn't even wood. And though it lives at a Cedar Fair park, it was installed by Six Flags, and has what amounts to a grass field as its only theming.

As for Italian Job Stunt Track, yes, the Joker's Jinx versus Flight of Fear comparison is apt...and yes, I am sure Delirium_Guy has ridden Joker's Jinx, but I can only speak for me. I much prefer the Joker's Jinx ride experience to Flight of Fear (on the ride itself....in the queue and service wise, Kings Island has far better employees than SFA, even now after SFA's supposed improvements). For one thing, not only is the midcourse brake never on at SFA, there is NO midcourse brake.

I believe the more apt comparison on Italian Job, though, to be to compare it to PKD's, as Delirium_Guy has done in the past. At PKD, the effects actually work. At PKD, the placement did not hurt the beauty of that park. And at PKD, the area around the ride is much more extensively and carefully themed.

While all this is interesting, the better question is to what level Cedar Fair will maintain and install theming at the former Paramount Parks. Right now, no one knows the answer to that, not even Cedar Fair. I fear money will be as much of a factor for Cedar Fair as CBS/Viacom made it in the later days of Paramount Parks.

[king_cobra_27]

I'm gonna revive the topic about the ruining of Kings Islands landscaping.

And I think that we all know the king of slaughter in this department.

Italian Job, Stunt Track.....This is the biggest piece of crap imaginable. And right after they started using the Old Time Cars in FearFest, on Route 666. Which, by the way, was a great themed ride.

But now, sadly, the pond has been drained, and that nice and relaxing ( and rather attractive view ) of the Old Time Cars is gone. And only to be replaced with a junkyard appearance pointless roller coaster that personally, I would have rather seen built, NOWHERE!!!!!

I would have preferred that Kings Island simply did not add anything new last year at all in comparison to this thing that they have killed the view from atop the Eiffel Tower with. And everyone says that the crappy looking stuff does not even work. I don't know, because I refuse to ride it, in my own little protest against the decision to tear down the Cars to put up this pointless concrete nightmare.

Cedar Fair should tear this one down, and plant some trees, and grow a garden.

Anything would be better than Italian Job standing where it is, or anywhere.

K.C.

[hauntguy]

I love IJ:ST, it's a GREAT ride at KI. I personally don't think it hurt the park at all.... it's like saying....

Look at what CP did with Top Thrill... they totally killed the view of the sky. I would have much rather them NOT build TTG and just leave the view of the sky alone.

HA! Maybe it would have been better to put IJ:ST in Action Zone. But none the less.... it's a great ride (one of the best at KI) and I am proud to ride it at least 3 times every visit.

As for other landscaping... I think the Paramount Story should be taken out. It's pointless and is taking up space. Maybe CF will put in a NICE flat or sometime type of sit-down diner. Maybe a good place for that "museum" that has popped up in recent park surveys. -Hauntguy

[King Bowser]

I love IJ:ST, it's a GREAT ride at KI. I personally don't think it hurt the park at all.... it's like saying....

Look at what CP did with Top Thrill... they totally killed the view of the sky. I would have much rather them NOT build TTG and just leave the view of the sky alone.

HA! Maybe it would have been better to put IJ:ST in Action Zone. But none the less.... it's a great ride (one of the best at KI) and I am proud to ride it at least 3 times every visit.

As for other landscaping... I think the Paramount Story should be taken out. It's pointless and is taking up space. Maybe CF will put in a NICE flat or sometime type of sit-down diner. Maybe a good place for that "museum" that has popped up in recent park surveys. -Hauntguy

I honestly HATE IJ:ST for one thing it's way to short & the theming never ever works correctly or works period.

I would have rather have see us get that addams family shriek house coaster that was an awsome concept too bad Paramount killed the concept and sold the rights to Dollywood.

[Delirium_Guy]

Go ride Joker's Jinx at Six Flags America, then come back to Kings Island and ride Flight of Fear, and you'll see how theming plays a big factor into the overall ride experience.

I disagree with Italian Job's space as much as the next guy does; I would have rather seen it go in either DOT's place or where the Helicopter Pad is beside FOF. I also disagree with the overall theming and they could have done a much better job with it, or at least given the ride a nice, abstract view of L.A. But the fact that people bash it up and down because it doesn't go fast enough, or it doesn't go high enough, or it isn't long enough just ****es me off because everyone wants to jump on the Cedar Point/Six Flags bandwagon and say that every park should have a 300 foot Beemer racing through the park, and complain about each and every themed attraction built at PKI.

God, I sound like a CP flamer now, but it pretty much sickens me that every coaster the 'Point builds gets tremendous praise for everyone (particularly those ACE folk), yet there have been numerous other coasters built with ingenious layouts and great uses of theming that are put aside by people who explain that, "Oh, this coaster can't beat Millenium Force because it doesn't go 300 feet," or, "Man, this coaster's fast, but it should be as fast as Top Thrill Dragster or Kingda Ka."

And, sorry to reiterate this again, but, any one coaster in Europe, along with the coasters found in the two Busch Gardens parks and smaller, lesser known parks, are, in my opinion, better and more intuitive that Cedar Point's or Six Flags's brand of thrill rides:

- Nemesis, Alpengheist, Montu & Black Mamba > Raptor & Batman: The Ride

- Air > Tatsu

- Stampeda, The Voyage, Raven, Legend, Hades, Lightning Racers, Thunderhead & Gwazi > Mean Streak & El Toro

- Timber Tower, Tomb Raider: THE RIDE & FIREFALL, Ripsaw, Blade & Tower of Terror > Power Tower, maXair & SkyHawk

....okay, NOW I know I'm going to be hated by everyone here.

I have ridden Joker's Jinx at Six Flags America. I prefer that ride to FoF. As Interpreter said, the lack of a midcourse brake makes a difference. It was awesome when PKI wasn't using their brake. Yeah, the FoF queue is nice, but what about the ride itself? The building itself has ZERO theming, aside from the colored flood lights that shine up on the track. Sorry, that does nothing for me. The ride in general is so loud that the music, unless near the mid course brake, is pretty inaudible. If the trains had speakers on them or something else happened on the ride, then yeah I'd say the theming would make a difference.....please see Rock 'n' Roller Coaster at the Disney Studios. If that ride were outside, or just inside with no theming and speakers, it'd be a snoozer. Instead, its one hell of a fun experience. I agree with the Busch coasters and A LOT of European rides. They are innovative with layouts and theming. They are also thoughtfully planned out and integrated with the rest of the park. There is nothing at Kings Island such as those rides.

You are entitled to your opinion about the Point. Of all 16 coasters they have, 3 would fall into my top tier of coasters.......Magnum, Raptor and Millennium Force. The rest of the colleciton is mediocre, but they are all super fun and I'd be happy to have ANY of them at PKI. I'm not in the camp that EVERY park needs a 300 foot coaster, I could care less about that. That is, however, what the Point is known for and they do it very very well.

I just returned from the Point again yesterday, 3rd visit in 3 weeks. Looking at the little details like the landscaping around Skyhawk, the entry plaza to Wicked Twister, or the lighting packages found on both maXair and Skyhawk, I hardly think the Cedar Fair standards are at all as bad as you may think.

For what its worth, I FINALLY got my first ride on maXair yesterday. We all preferred it to Delirium. Longer ride cycle and more swings makes a big difference. Also, it was super smooth.....much like Delirium USED to be when it opened. Sigh.

- Todd, leaving for Disney tomorrow and finally getting to check out Everest!

[beastfan11]

I'm gonna revive the topic about the ruining of Kings Islands landscaping.

And I think that we all know the king of slaughter in this department.

Italian Job, Stunt Track.....This is the biggest piece of crap imaginable. And right after they started using the Old Time Cars in FearFest, on Route 666. Which, by the way, was a great themed ride.

But now, sadly, the pond has been drained, and that nice and relaxing ( and rather attractive view ) of the Old Time Cars is gone. And only to be replaced with a junkyard appearance pointless roller coaster that personally, I would have rather seen built, NOWHERE!!!!!

I would have preferred that Kings Island simply did not add anything new last year at all in comparison to this thing that they have killed the view from atop the Eiffel Tower with. And everyone says that the crappy looking stuff does not even work. I don't know, because I refuse to ride it, in my own little protest against the decision to tear down the Cars to put up this pointless concrete nightmare.

Cedar Fair should tear this one down, and plant some trees, and grow a garden.

Anything would be better than Italian Job standing where it is, or anywhere.

K.C.

^ listen to this guy..lol

[StXsteven]

I think Italian Job was an okay ride. Nothing special, or interesting for that matter. It's to short, it's not really themed to the movie, it's like they are trying to be Disney when they arn't.. but like I've said plenty of times its just my opinion.

It's way to short and nothing really new happens on it besides some water and fire.. they would have been alot better off putting something else there.. it doesn't really fit where it's located IMO.. it would be better off by Top Gun.

MaxAir was fun too, but the line was alot longer at least the day I went.. so its got its advantages and disadvantages.

I know we have faceoff, but I rw9ould really like it if they would put in a ride like Wicked Twister, because that is a pretty wicked and fun ride.

I would like 1 large coaster.. more along the lines of Millenium than Top Thrill, because although Top Thrill is alot funner, Millenium gives you more and the line moves just as fast.

Will this stuff ever happen? No. haha. I would like it, but I really doubt it, at least not in the next 3 years.. which is what matters more to me now haha. Is that selfish? Maybe. Haha.