PKI Earns International Awards!

[BoddaH1994]

Paramount's Kings Island™ Earns International Marketing,

Entertainment Awards

Brass Ring and Big E awards honor the best of the best in the theme park

industry.

Kings Island, Ohio - The International Association of Amusement Parks

and Attractions (IAAPA) recently awarded Paramount's Kings Island with

six of its industry-best awards.

The Brass Ring Awards honor excellence in attraction marketing and

advertising. Paramount's Kings Island earned first place honors for

print advertising and website design. In addition, the company's group

sales brochure received an award for distinguished excellence.

Paramount's Kings Island's entertainment department earned kudos in

IAAPA's Big E competition, bringing home Best Female Performer (Amanda

Schroeder, Santa's Toy Factory and Nickelodeon Celebration Parade™)

and Street Performer, honorable mention (Sean Cahill, "Scrooge") awards.

Santa's Toy Factory was also named the year's Best Overall Production.

Cedar Fair Entertainment Company (NYSE: "FUN") is a publicly traded

partnership headquartered in Sandusky, Ohio. The Partnership, which

owns and operates twelve amusement parks, five outdoor water parks, one

indoor water park and six hotels, is one of the largest regional

amusement park operators in the world. Its parks are located in Ohio,

California, Toronto, North Carolina, Virginia / District of Columbia,

Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Missouri and Michigan.

Let's give it up for the best of the best marketing teams out there!

Regards,

Ryan

PKICentral.com - When's IAAPA going to recognize PKIC?? How about just a kudos??

[KIBeast]

That's awesome. Did you see where KI won two awards for their entertainment at the IAAPA show? I'm just sorry I didn't catch a show this year.

[UncleHenry]

Congrats! Glad to hear they got these awards!

And congrats to the web design team! I am learning that making a website can be very tough, and frustrating work. You guys deserve the recognition!

[Reclaimer]

Congrats to Kings Island.

Notice the award winning performers/performances had something to do with Winterfest? Hint...Hint...Hint, Cedar Fair. The entertainment was there, and it was apparently award-winning. Better execution was all the event needed. Ok, the bitterness really needs to end. I'll work on it, I promise.

[Avatar]

Oh… the irony being awarded for shows that you have gotten rid of or serious think about doing so. Well at least all the people associated in areas of the awards can have satisfaction and the distinction of a job well done.

[PKIVortex]

Glad to hear PKI won some awards. Maybe just maybe it will make Cedar Fair reconsider Winterfest in the Future.

[Reclaimer]

One could hope. I can't blame them for this year, since they've got some work to do in the parks to Cedar Fair-ize them....but they really shouldn't flat out cancel it.

[KIBeast]

^I was going to say the same thing, reclaimer. It doesn't surprise me that CF would drop Winterfest since they had to quickly get into place.

[Guest kwindshawne]

It was a slow day at work today, so I had time to think about a lot of things, and this was one thing I thought about winterfest. In the past, there weren't any actual "indoor" type coasters, so my idea is-bring it back. Open Flight of Fear and tomb raider. Go ahead and have the ice skating and the carousel just like in the past. Do the winter rehab on Flight of Fear in november. Open festhaus and show christmas type things, or have a section for sports-football and such. I'm not into football, but went in there the final day, and the atmosphere was killer. i think with a limited amount of rides open and more to do, it could very well be a huge success. Sorry for any typos-I am ill and exremely tired for being out late. So, how feasible would something like this be????

Glad to hear PKI won some awards. Maybe just maybe it will make Cedar Fair reconsider Winterfest in the Future.

One other thing I forgot on the previous post-I was hearing a lot of negativity about KI from a friend of mine lately, and basically it is unjust. It is still the same nice park I left 15 years ago-just different now. When you have media and money come into something, it can be both good and bad-it is now going through another change and I am excited to see what is going to happen next. I don't have any negative things to say about the park, and truthfully the atmosphere is better than some of the biggies like Disneyland. I'll take KI over that place any day.......

[Shman]

Let's give it up for the best of the best marketing teams out there!

Ahem.....and one of the best Entertainment teams too......right Ryan???

[The Interpreter]

Kwindshawne: Kings Island has the things necessary to create a great entertainment experience for the entire family. But it currently can't even hold a candle to Disneyland in that department.

And to that certain poster reading this who just about swallowed his tongue when he read that first paragraph...yes, I'm that same guy who once despised all things Disney. Thanks for making me see the light. And I may be one of about three dozen people alive who much, much, much prefers the California experience to the Florida one. So much so that I just got to get back out there....I had been considering a February junket to ride Everest..but why not California Soarin' and California's Adventure, and the Matterhorn? Why not, indeed?

That all being said, there are some excellent points in this thread. I, for one, believe the Carowinds Winterfest experience was no doubt superior to that at Mason. Top Gun: The Jet Coaster was open. Danny's Phantom Fliers were open. The park glistened and basked in a somewhat warmer atmosphere (temperature wise). Even if it did have a very, very small ice skating rink. And STILL The Charlotte Observer observed Winterfest with this memorable headline: "Walking In An Empty Wonderland." I truly believe that Winterfest was a tremendous financial failure. One that Cedar Fair can ill afford, especially now.

[Avatar]

Kwindshawne: Kings Island has the things necessary to create a great entertainment experience for the entire family. But it currently can't even hold a candle to Disneyland in that department.

And I may be one of about three dozen people alive who much, much, much prefers the California experience to the Florida one. So much so that I just got to get back out there....I had been considering a February junket to ride Everest..but why not California Soarin' and California's Adventure, and the Matterhorn? Why not, indeed?

I think you are being way to kind to even be using a candle to use as your analogy! I know that Kings Island has the talent and the deep desire to produce great entertainment if only they were given the opportunity to do so. As parent of a family, the lack of entertainment at Kings Island has been a huge disappointment. They make a claim to be targeting the family by putting more family style rides in so the family can do more together. But they miss the quintessential part of the family experience by not offering a great family show that they can participate in and/or laugh together.

Now since you asked; you know you can do California Soarin’ at Epcot and Mission Space while your there too. Then you can move on over to the Flame Tree BBQ and have lunch as you are waiting for your fast pass time for Expedition Everest. But wait… you still got two more parks to consider if you feel the urge to do so.

[The Interpreter]

Yep....Six Flags Magic Mountain and, uh, not that other place, thanks.

[Guest kwindshawne]

Kwindshawne: Kings Island has the things necessary to create a great entertainment experience for the entire family. But it currently can't even hold a candle to Disneyland in that department.

And to that certain poster reading this who just about swallowed his tongue when he read that first paragraph...yes, I'm that same guy who once despised all things Disney. Thanks for making me see the light. And I may be one of about three dozen people alive who much, much, much prefers the California experience to the Florida one. So much so that I just got to get back out there....I had been considering a February junket to ride Everest..but why not California Soarin' and California's Adventure, and the Matterhorn? Why not, indeed?

That all being said, there are some excellent points in this thread. I, for one, believe the Carowinds Winterfest experience was no doubt superior to that at Mason. Top Gun: The Jet Coaster was open. Danny's Phantom Fliers were open. The park glistened and basked in a somewhat warmer atmosphere (temperature wise). Even if it did have a very, very small ice skating rink. And STILL The Charlotte Observer observed Winterfest with this memorable headline: "Walking In An Empty Wonderland." I truly believe that Winterfest was a tremendous financial failure. One that Cedar Fair can ill afford, especially now.

Sorry, but i am not a huge fan of disney. I went to the park twice in my life-once in the early 70's and again in the mid 80's-and the result was the same. I rode the matterhorn, but it didn't really impress me that much. And both times, the day was spent waiting in long lines along with other inconveniences like that. I think the reason disney is so successful is location-and KI cannot compete with either Florida or Cali on that one. I can't speak about carowinds-never been there. I know Cedar Fair can't do winterfest in the near future, but I would hope it will be a possibility later on. Winterfest does not do well here because it's so darn cold by then. If I'm going out there, I would much rather go to Knott's than even bother with the other one. Just my preference. I can't explain it, it is just the feel I get in comparing the atmosphere of the two parks.

[The Interpreter]

I will go back to Knotts when they build another ride that I feel I must ride. And not before. The place just leaves me cold. I have three times passed by the park in the last four years. Didn't even go in. Gladly so.

Different tastes, I guess!

[Guest kwindshawne]

Kwindshawne: Kings Island has the things necessary to create a great entertainment experience for the entire family. But it currently can't even hold a candle to Disneyland in that department.

And I may be one of about three dozen people alive who much, much, much prefers the California experience to the Florida one. So much so that I just got to get back out there....I had been considering a February junket to ride Everest..but why not California Soarin' and California's Adventure, and the Matterhorn? Why not, indeed?

I think you are being way to kind to even be using a candle to use as your analogy! I know that Kings Island has the talent and the deep desire to produce great entertainment if only they were given the opportunity to do so. As parent of a family, the lack of entertainment at Kings Island has been a huge disappointment. They make a claim to be targeting the family by putting more family style rides in so the family can do more together. But they miss the quintessential part of the family experience by not offering a great family show that they can participate in and/or laugh together.

Now since you asked; you know you can do California Soarin’ at Epcot and Mission Space while your there too. Then you can move on over to the Flame Tree BBQ and have lunch as you are waiting for your fast pass time for Expedition Everest. But wait… you still got two more parks to consider if you feel the urge to do so.

Thelack of family entertainment of KI may have been a by product of paramount-when I left here 15 years ago, they still had plenty to do in that respect. That is one difference I have seen-along with the antique cars being gone which was a colossal mistake. My daughter is grown and I am divorced, so maybe I don't see the family side of it??????

Kwindshawne: Kings Island has the things necessary to create a great entertainment experience for the entire family. But it currently can't even hold a candle to Disneyland in that department.

Where did that post come from? I didn't write that-surely I'm not THAT ill........

[The Interpreter]

Where'd it come from? You DID say this: ***I don't have any negative things to say about the park, and truthfully the atmosphere is better than some of the biggies like Disneyland. I'll take KI over that place any day.......****

That's all!

[Avatar]

Yep....Six Flags Magic Mountain and, uh, not that other place, thanks.

Well how about the Rock n Rollercoaster and Tower of Terror at MGM Studios and hey how about breakfast with Cinderella at the castle before the park opens at Magic Kingdom then since you won’t have family with you I would for sanity sake leave that park.

[The Interpreter]

You are starting to scare me, Avatar. I think you MUST know me.

Disney's MGM is one of my very favorite parks! I could spend many happy days there without riding a thing...not to mention the wonderful Tower of Terror (also found at California's Adventure).

Back to the topic, though. Entertainment is the one area in which I am going to watch Cedar Fair most closely. It will be here, if anywhere, that the most drastic changes will occur in the once-CBS parks. How it will change, better or worse, I just don't know. But I do know it WILL.

[Jasper]

Wow thats pretty cool that we are that good to be on an international scale. I beleive a plaque is in order at the park to commemerate this great achievement. Thank PKI marketing department!

[UncleHenry]

SFMM: Terrible

KBF: Awesome

'nuff said

[Guest kwindshawne]

Where'd it come from? You DID say this: ***I don't have any negative things to say about the park, and truthfully the atmosphere is better than some of the biggies like Disneyland. I'll take KI over that place any day.......****

That's all!

Got it-was talking about the candle part-fever I think......

I guess I just saw Disney on two bad days. I will say though the weather does add to the fun of a park, and here we don't have that luxury. It's hard to compete with a place that is sunny and 70 almost every single day of the year....

Maybe I am partial to this place cause it's home

[beastfan11]

I find it hilarious that we won awards for Winterfest.. which is now

defunct...lol

Congrats to KI

[Vortex]

I also think its odd KI won for Winterfest. Does anyone think Cedar Fair will change their mind in two years? I can see not having this year so they can get the park the way Cedar Fair wants for next season. After that I can see Winterfest returning.

[BoddaH1994]

I also think its odd KI won for Winterfest. Does anyone think Cedar Fair will change their mind in two years? I can see not having this year so they can get the park the way Cedar Fair wants for next season. After that I can see Winterfest returning.

Cedar Fair is more than a billion dollars in debt. Once they made that up, then we'll talk.

Back to IAAPA, if you were wondering who Amanda Schroeder is who won best female performer she actually played Ribbons in Santa's Toy Factory and was also in the Nickelodeon Celebration Parade. Hats off to her for such an amazing acheivement!!

Click here to see Ribbons. You can't really see her face (sorry, this was before I got the SLR) but she's on the right with tons of.... well... ribbons hanging off of her costume. That, my friends, was a great show.

[CoastersRZ]

It certainly was an awesome show! I saw it three times, and each time it was great! If only they could have a headline show as magical for the entire family as that show was, then they would have a huge hit on their hands. Don`t get me wrong, School of Rock was good, but it couldn`t capture the children audience quite as well as that show did.

[UncleHenry]

What did Amanda do in the parade? There are ALOT of actors in the parade, so for her to get an award partly for her performance in the parade must mean she did an awesome job in the parade as well.

[beastfan11]

I also think its odd KI won for Winterfest. Does anyone think Cedar Fair will change their mind in two years? I can see not having this year so they can get the park the way Cedar Fair wants for next season. After that I can see Winterfest returning.

I could see that.

[Snake Attack!]

Sorry a little off topic but have we found out if the parade will be coming back yet?

[CoastersRZ]

The Nick Parade? I haven`t heard anything, it still seems to be up in the air. But, I wouldn`t be surprised if it does come back, based on how popular it seemed to be.